Microsoft And Sony Make Nice, Establish Partnership For Gaming And Cloud Services

Microsoft and Sony, the company behind Xbox One and PS4 respectively, revealed this week that they have established a strategic partnership. The two companies plan to share technology and information in the future and rely on shared infrastructure for some of their future initiatives. Nowhere in the ad is Xbox or PlayStation named, but its wording implies that the Microsoft and Sony partnership will specifically focus on consumer entertainment platforms such as games.

Specifically, the agreement (a memorandum of understanding) says that the two will jointly develop future cloud solutions within Microsoft Azure. It also says that Sony will use Microsoft Azure for its own games and streaming services, although Sony’s PlayStation Now is not specifically mentioned, including a push to create better tools for content creators. The two also commit to working together on semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

“The PlayStation itself emerged through the integration of creativity and technology,” Sony president Kenichiro Yoshida said in the announcement. “Our mission is to seamlessly evolve this platform as one that continues to provide the best and most immersive entertainment experiences, along with a cloud environment that guarantees the best possible experience, anytime, anywhere.” For many years, Microsoft It has been a key business partner for us, although, of course, the two companies have also been competing in some areas, and I believe that our joint development of future cloud solutions will greatly contribute to the advancement of interactive content. ”

“Sony has always been a leader in both entertainment and technology, and the collaboration we announced today builds on this history of innovation,” added Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO. “Our partnership brings the power of Azure and Azure AI to Sony to offer new games and entertainment experiences for customers.”